1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mop head which is selectively arrangeable on a mop handle support structure, in a selected one of multiple orientations each presenting a distinct mopping surface, and to a mop article comprising such mop head mounted on a handle support structure thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of mop head structures and mop articles, a wide variety of physical configuations, arrangements, and components have been employed and proposed in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,616 issued Jan. 5, 1988 to A. D. Harmon, et al discloses a mop head construction comprising a plurality of substantially parallel, abutting strands of textile material, such as roving, or cords of twisted strands and yarns. The main deficiency of this product lies in the fact that absorption is being accomplished through the use of capillary action exhibited by very finely divided fibrous structures possessing a low fluid pick-up and retention capacity on a unit volume basis, thereby physically limiting the amount of fluids, e.g., liquids, or mixtures of liquids and particulates, that can be absorbed per unit volume. Further, due to its large surface area per unit volume, the renewability and driability of this type of fabric is poor. The fluid that is taken up by such mop head is not readily released, so that the sorptive capacity which initially is taken up is unavailable, until the fibrous structure dries by evaporation of the retained fluid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,774 issued Feb. 2, 1982 to J. P. Arthur describes a mop head made of non-woven fabric of a cellulose and synthetic fiber blend which is made by combining plural non-woven continuous fabric sheets in a composite superimposed stack, ultrasonically sealing the stack in a continuous transverse direction of the sheet in the center portion thereof, and the cutting the stack between the ends of the sheets and the central portion to form a plurality of strips.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,224 issued Feb. 2, 1988 to E. Disko discloses a mop comprising plural absorptive elements comprising superposed flat layers of bonded non-woven fabric comprising a fibrous web and a binder. The fibrous web comprises at least about 50% by weight of hydrophilic fibers and the binder is present in about 25% to 100% of the fibers, at about 50-400 grams per square meter. The non-woven fabric layers are joined along a medial spine, from which the layers are slit to the extremities thereof to form parallel flat strips ranging in width from about 15-40 millimeters and in length from about 20-60 centimeters.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,017 issued Jul. 17, 1970 to T. V. Moss describes a mop swab including a multiplicity of absorbent mop cords which are secured together adjacent the ends of the swab by strands of thread or yarn which extend transversely to the swab in and among the mop cords. The mop cords may also be secured substantially centrally of the swab in a bunched-together relationship, by a canvas or fabric band.
It is well known that many fibrous or fabric substances absorb liquids to some extent. Such substances as cotton fiber and natural cellulose products absorb liquid more efficiently than many man-made fibers, e.g., melt-blown fibers, which cannot absorb water at all, but rather must rely on their capillary reaction to liquids. Thus, such synthetic fibrous yarns must be sufficiently porous to permit the moisture to diffuse between the fibers and be held between the fibers in a cleaning manner. These synthetic fibers, however, are often preferred for many other uses because of their strength, their high wearability and their limited shrinkage.
Desirable characteristics of fibrous webs or fibrous structures in enhancing fluid absorption include: high durability and resistance to abrasion; high absorption characteritics such as those shown by soft, loosely twisted yarns; ready dryability; fast drying; easy wringability; high wet tensile strength; and the ability to withstand repeated laundering without shrinking significantly.
In respect of particulate solids pick-up, retention, and release, a variety of fibrous or fabric-based materials are employed. Fibrous webs or fibrous structures used for such purpose should have the ability to achieve rapid pick-up of solids and release thereof upon shaking or liquid (water) immersion, and should also be resistant to charge effects such as may result in minimal particulate solids pick-up and/or retention efficiency.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,133, issued Feb. 26, 1991, to Newell, discloses a mop head comprising a plurality of web elements having involutions therein. The involutions may be formed by treatment conditions comprising successive tensioning/detensioning, compression, differential stressing or stretching, twisting, or a combination of these or other conditions or treatments imparting involutions to the web elements. In one aspect, the web elements are formed of a non-woven material comprising a cellulose and synthetic fiber blend. The mop head utilizes the discovery that interstitially capacitive regions may be employed to contain liquid and/or fluids or mixtures of fluids and particulates within a three-dimensional framework, e.g., fabric structure, which is capable of retaining the fluids by surface tension forces and capacitance of the structure of the fabric. These capacitive interstitial regions of the sorptive structures of the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,133 also are desirable in that they release fluids and/or solid particulates more easily than conventional absorptive materials due mainly to the small structural surface area required to contain a droplet of liquid or fluid and/or solid particulate in such fabric or sorptive structure.
It would be a significant advance in the art of mop head structures to provide a mop head having a significantly enhanced surface area capacity for particulates and/or liquids, encompassing both dry mopping and wet mopping utility, relative to mop head structures of the prior art.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such an improved mop head structure having utility for diverse dry mopping and/or wet mopping applications, and providing easy fluid and/or particular solid take-up, retention, and release.